Age

Catalog sorted by age group

João By A Thread

As João tucks under a lovingly woven quilt, he asks himself: So it’s just me now? He curls up, getting cozy in bed, and soon the world of his dreams unspools on the page. The blanket in his bed unravels into deep rivers, lakes, valleys, reservoirs, mountain ranges, fishing nets full of tadpoles and gaping holes, until what’s left is just one long thread. When he feels alone and scared in the dark, João “sews words like patchwork” into a new blanket to cover himself up. He weaves the threads of his quilt until they form one long sentence, and soon, the nighttime is peppered with his own silvery, slippery words. Roger Mello draws like a shapeshifter – to look at his illustrations is always to see something you missed before (a stingray, a crescent moon nestled into the palm of João’s hand). His breathtaking line drawings, beaming in white thread against deep red, combined with poetic and bewildered language, make João by a Thread a book to take into bed at the edge of sleep, just before you start to dream

Frizzy

A middle grade graphic novel about Marlene, a young girl who stops straightening her hair and embraces her natural curls. Marlene loves three things: books, her cool Tía Ruby and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and “growing up.” That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have “presentable”, “good hair”. But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn’t understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tia Ruby—she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.

The Very Best Sukkah: A Story From Uganda

Sukkot is Shoshi’s favorite Jewish holiday. She and her brothers love to decorate their sukkah, the hut where her family will celebrate. But who will win the Ugandan Abayudaya community’s annual sukkah contest? While only one sukkah can be the best, everybody wins when neighbors work together.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XVII, Issue 1.

The Dark Constellations

Un pequeño niño de los Andes nos llevara de la mano a través de sus recuerdos y experiencias a entender y apreciar, todo lo que el cielo de los ancestros puede reflejar en nuestra mirada.

A small child from the Andes will take us by the hand through his memories and experiences to understand and appreciate all that the sky of the ancestors can reflect in our gaze.

Dear Street

“Alice loves her neighborhood. She loves the maples trees and marigolds and the colorful balconies on her street. But — “grumble, grumble, more construction” — it seems not everyone does. “Poor street,” says Alice, then she has an idea. “Dear Street …” she begins to write, and when she’s finished writing her love letter, she hides it for someone to find. A grumpy neighbor discovers the anonymous letter and her mood brightens. As the seasons pass, Alice writes more letters to the things she loves, hiding them for people to find and transforming grumbles into smiles and wonder. Until one gloomy day, when Alice herself can’t stop grumbling … Lindsay Zier-Vogel perfectly captures the everyday joys and simple pleasures experienced by children, and the transformative capacity of sharing what we love about where we live. Alice, a girl full of compassion and optimism, demonstrates that a small, simple act can have a powerful impact on others and lead to a ripple effect. This is a delightful, uplifting picture book that celebrates community and connecting with others, and inspires readers to look around them in a more grateful and engaged manner.”–

Let’s Build A Dam!

“Siblings May, Lily, and Noah build a dam. Stone by stone, their dam grows higher and higher, until their creation attracts the attention of fishermen, pirates, and even the King and his fleet. The sky’s the limit, until Noah wants his stone back…Each page builds upon the previous scene as the children’s imaginations also grow. Children will delight in pointing out the changing details on each page as they laugh along to this picture book about the boundlessness of imagination and sibling friendship.” —

The Butterfly Dance

Because she is now twelve, Sihumana gets to join the other Hopi in performing the Butterfly Dance, helping to celebrate family and bring gentle rains for the flowers and plants.

The Hare-Shaped Hole

Hertle and Bertle were always a pair, though one was a turtle and one was a hare.

They were utterly buddies, and best friends forever, and whenever you looked, you would find them together… until quite unexpectedly… the end came. When Hertle disappears for good, Bertle can only see a Hertle-shaped hole where his friend should be. He pleads with it, get angry with it, but the hole still won’t bring his Hertle back. It seems like hope is lost… until Gerda the kindly bear finds him.

She explains that he must fill the hole with his memories of Hertle. And slowly… Bertle begins to feel a little bit better.

This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.

Salsa Lullaby

“Parents put their young child to sleep with the help of some music and dancing”–